Dangerous Pleasantries
by kittykat2892
Summary: A simple one-shot of my Dalish elf, Juniper, meeting up with Taliesin. Her romance is with Zevran, so naturally she's protective of her Antivan assassin. Zevran x F!Mahariel


_(A/N: This is simply a small one-shot I've done in pure boredom. It's based off my latest Warden, a Dalish elf I named Juniper. I'm romancing Zevran with her. I have yet to finish Orzammar in this run-through, so have yet to reach this point. I've taken creative liberties, skirting the 'true dialogue' of the game for more fitting and natural dialogue. Not much effort was put into this one-shot, so I'm sure it could be better. If you have constructive criticism, I'm most certainly all ears.)_

"Ah, so here you are, Grey Warden." A heavily-accented voice drifted down to Juniper's ears. She immediately unslung her bow, and had an arrow nocked within the space of five seconds.

"Who are you." She demanded, eyes flaring in suspicion at the person standing at the top of the stairs. She knew the accent - the Antivan accent. The man just smirked at the Dalish.

"From what I see, you already know who I am, my dear. Why ask a question when you already know the answer? Tell me, dear, where is Zevran? I assumed you would have him chained to your side to make sure he didn't betray you."

Juniper's personality was usually one of peace. Even when she decided to attack a fellow Dalish clan and assist the werewolves instead of Zathrian, there was just a sad peace about her. However, this Antivan Crow just rubbed her the wrong way.

"I trust him." She snarled in response, eyes narrowing in anger. The sudden anger that their leader exhibited suprised her friends. Morrigan noted the tense posture of the woman she had come to think of as her sister, and knew that no matter what, they would not escape this fight. The witch sighed quietly, reaching behind her to grasp her staff.

Alistair and Oghren, noting this, prepared themselves. Alistair watched his fellow Warden closely. He had been worried lately that she was becoming a bit too close to the assassin she had saved, and if this were symbolic of anything, his fears were confirmed. The woman he was slowly falling in love with cared more for the man who had tried to kill her than him.

The assassin at the head of the stairs bellowed in laughter, even going as far to pretend to wipe a tear from his eye. "Ah, my dear, you know how to jest. My name is Taliesin. I'm sure that he must have spoken to you about me. Just tell me where he is, dear, and I won't have to sever that pretty head of yours from your neck."

Juniper just growled in response, letting fly the fire arrow she had prepared for battle. Taliesin side-stepped the arrow, catching it by the shaft, turning with an angry fire deep in his eyes.

"You're testing my patience, dear."

Juniper was about to reply when she felt gentle hands on her shoulders. Only one person could ever hope to sneak up on her like that.

"Taliesin. I knew it was only a matter of time before you came looking for me." Zevran spoke to his friend over Juniper's head, and the Dalish could hear the sharp edge to his tone.

"Ah, there you are. Your Warden and I were just exchanging...pleasantries." Taliesin sent a glare Juniper's way.

"Touch one hair on her head, Taliesin, and you will find your head seperated from your body quicker than you would think possible." Zevran threatened coldly, which only elicited another laugh from the Antivan Crow.

"Come back with us, Zevran. You know I could persuade the Master to allow you back in the fold!" Taliesin spread his arms in a friendly gesture. Juniper bristled, even while feeling her heart go cold.

"I must be dead first, of course." She stated coldly, and Taliesin just smirked at her.

"I assure you, amora, that will not happen."

Taliesin shook his head, sighing. "It seems you've been taking in by an exotic beauty. You always were interested in the Dalish. This one I've heard of. She allowed her clanmate to die, and she even murdered a sister clan. She is no better than any other female Crow. Though, of course, it is still to be seen if she offers the same services."

Juniper felt herself grow cold at his words. Had he just called her a whore? She was aware of Zevran's past, and his fancies, but she never held that against him. She hadn't seen him sneak away from the group for months, and she had a feeling it was due to her. However, to be called a whore herself, Juniper would not allow that to sit without a fight.

Juniper's hands flew to her sides, finding her hidden daggers (courtesy of Zevran's training) and hurling them at the smirking Antivan Crow in a matter of seconds. Taliesin's laughter turned to a shocked gasp of pain as her daggers found their mark in his shoulders. They didn't do any lasting damage, but he was no longer laughing. He was now pissed.

The female elf could practically feel the surprise in the surrounding air from her companions at her sudden violent attack.

"Zevran is not going back with you. I will die before I see him leave with you." Juniper hissed through grit teeth.

"Then I shall see your mangled corpse at my feet, my dear." Taliesin replied in a snarl, disappearing into thin air as his followers began attacking.

The companions jumped into action, Zevran pulling away from his Warden with difficulty, drawing his daggers. Alistair drew his greatsword, swinging it with enough force he cut one of the attackers in half. Morrigan shielded herself quickly, barely getting her Arcane Shield up to deflect a stray arrow.

Juniper swiftly changed out her bow for her sword and dagger, twirling them as she drew them from their scabbards. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, looking for the Antivan Crow she would kill, even if it killed her to do so.

The Dalish grunted as she dodged to the side of a backstab attack, the enemy's sword nicking her side. As she turned, she held her sword out, meaning to decapitate Taliesin. He saw her movement, and ducked under her furious attack, rushing up with both of his daggers to skewer her through. Juniper rolled to the side, using her momentum to then flip backwards.

Juniper grunted as she tapped the toe of her boot against the dirt, rolling her shoulders. She chanced a look to her side and winced when she saw the blood flowing freely. Should this fight drag on long, she would collapse from blood loss. Narrowed hazel eyes found her smirking target, and she lunged at him, using her Flurry move, first aiming to stab Taliesin's face. He easily dodged this, simply moving his head to the side. He blocked Juniper's second attack to his stomach, and ducked under her last to his neck.

The Dalish huntswoman gasped as Taliesin's second blade found purchase on the side of her thigh. His momentary lapse of awareness, upon gloating inwardly of his victory, gave Juniper her chance to even the odds. She brought her sword down hard on his right arm.

Taliesin howled in pain as he recoiled from the woman, dropping the dagger his wounded arm held, clapping his other hand to the deep wound. The Antivan Crow snarled at his nemesis, which Juniper responded with a feral growl in kind. Juniper could not move with her usual grace, due to her wounded thigh, but she would not allow herself to become immobile.

A quick scan of the deserted street showed Juniper that her friends were winning against the other assassins. Only a few were left, which Alistair and Zevran were sure to make quick work of. In her moment of distraction, Taliesin disappeared again. Juniper cursed herself for her idiocy as she took a defensive stance, senses on high alert. Her ears seemed to almost twitch as she waited.

The slight sound of a foot slipping on the sand alerted her to the location of her enemy. As such, she sliced at the area, earning a loud curse and a shallow cut on her arm as Taliesin responded to her attack. Juniper angrily jerked her bangs out of her face before forcing her leg to move as she ran to counter-attack.

The Antivan Crow and the Dalish elf met in a deadlock of weapons, pushing one against the other in a battle of strength, their faces mere inches away from the other.

"What now, dear? I may only have the use of one of my arms, one of my daggers, but that is still more than enough to kill you with and reclaim Zevran."

"Over my dead body." She snarled hotly, spitting in his face. He howled in anger as he stumbled away from the elf. She took her chance, and reverted back to how she had originally fought, in her fit of blind fury.

Juniper forced her bad leg to hold her weight as she spun - so fast her hair came undone - and struck with her good leg, the side of her foot catching Taliesin soldily in the solar plexus. The man groaned in a fit of pain, his eyes dulling as the bones in his chest began breaking under the force of her kick. She dropped the sword she treasured so much to lie in the dust as she sent a force-numbing punch to Taliesin's chin, causing him to stumble backwards.

Juniper growled in frustation. He was still standing, trying to regain his focus to fight her. She would not allow it. Her dagger flashed towards the pained man, which he somehow blocked. The elf allowed him to disarm her, even as she caught his weak attack towards her chest with her bare hands, tearing the blade from his grasp and throwing it to the side. Juniper then did something she never relied on in a fight. Not since she met Alistair and Morrigan. She relied on her under-handed tactics.

Juniper threw the blood coming from one of her palms into Taliesin's eyes, effectively blinding him. As he was furiously trying to rub away the blood, Juniper drew her last hidden dagger. This one was deadlier than all, considering she had coated this one with (oh the irony of it) Antivan Crow Poison. As Taliesin's vision cleared, he felt a dull pain in the left of his chest. He glared at his enemy, who just smirked ferally in victory. The Crow forced himself to look down, and saw the dagger sticking out of his chest.

Taliesin looked up at the Dalish woman in shock as he collapsed to his knees, the poison working its magic quickly, before smirking.

"You are everything...an Antivan Crow is." He sounded smug, and continued smirking, even in death.

Juniper panted as she stood over her vanquished enemy, exhausted beyond imagination. She hadn't been this tired even after fighting Flemeth's dragon form. Then again, she had never been as angry as she just was. Glancing around the battlefield, she saw Morrigan's Fireball spell end the battle. She heard Alistair yelling something in victory, even as Oghren randomly produced a small flask of mead and took a swig, laughing uproariously as he did. She saw Morrigan's lips turn upwards in a smirk Juniper knew was the only indication that she was pleased.

Hazel eyes found the Antivan Crow this had all been for, standing over the body of one of the archers, his knuckles white as he gripped his daggers. Almost seeming to feel her gaze on him, Zevran looked up at his Warden, a smile playing on his lips until he saw her condition. A look of horror made its way onto his finely-crafted features. Juniper just grinned at him, fatigue beginning to settle in to her bones. She collapsed into a sitting position, holding her head in her hands.

"Juniper!" Zevran's voice sounding right next to her ear made her jump, quickly looking at him. This, however, was not a good idea as the blood loss had finally caught up with her and the vision of a terrified Zevran swam in front of her.

"Zev...Why're their two of you?" She muttered in what was supposed to be a joking manner, but it had the opposite effect on her assassin. Zevran turned from her, angrily shouting for Morrigan.

"Amora, mi amora, tienes que tirar por esto. No puedo sobrevivir a esta si no se puede." Zevran murmured quickly in his own language, gently resting his head against Juniper's. She blinked in pleased surprise.

"Zev. You need to speak in your native language more often." She replied, not even knowing what he had said to her. That's when she felt the warmth of Morrigan's healing power concentrating on her wounds. She hissed in pain as her skin was repaired, as veins, arteries, capillaries were tied back up, as her pain receptors began working again. As soon as the healing had began, it ended, and Juniper was as good as new, though still covered in blood.

"Come on, amora. Up you get." Zevran muttered, hooking his arms under Juniper's, pulling her to her feet. She found her footing quickly, even though her world still swam in front of her. The worried faces of her companions swam in and out of focus. She grinned slightly, if somewhat loopily, and that's when Oghren burst into his laughter.

"You have the makings of a Berserker in you, friend! I saw your battle at the end! Splendid, my friend, sodding splendid!"

"Heh. I haven't fought like that since I was with my clan." Juniper muttered in reply as her vision finally began to stabilize. Alistair gave her a questioning look.

"Since you were with your clan? Who did you fight then?"

"She-...Humans, mostly. The ones who thought they could come and either kill or reclaim our People." Juniper replied shortly, sending a meaningful glance at the human. He quickly shut his mouth.

The Dalish looked around at her companions and grinned. "So! Shall we continue on?"

_Later that Night_

Juniper quietly slipped away from camp into the surrounding trees, looking for peace away from her friends. She knew they only meant well, but she was tired of being coddled. Once far enough away so she couldn't be heard, she simply began running, seeming almost to flit in and out of the trees and brush, her untied hair whipping behind her, the moonlight shining off her pale skin. She breathed in the smells of the forest. This was her home. It would always be her home, no matter where she went. She would always be one with the forest.

A noise behind her alerted Juniper that she had a sly assassin following her. She thought about making him give chase, but smiled as she thought better of it. Better to stop than have him tackle her. She broke through the dense trees into a small circle of dogwood trees, and she stopped.

Zevran soon appeared beside her. He was as silent as she, both listening to the sounds of the night.

"You did not have to fight Taliesin earlier. It was my responsibility."

"I know, Zevran. He pissed me off, though." Zevran blinked in surprise at the bluntness of her words. She never cursed, if she could help it.

Juniper turned to Zevran then, and he seemed to feel his breath catch in his throat as hazel eyes stared into orange. She lifted her hand and brushed it gently against Zevran's tattoo.

"I couldn't let some idiot steal my assassin from me." She whispered, her eyes alight and gentle.

Zevran's heart skipped a beat at her words. She had claimed him as her own just then. He swallowed, but steeled himself. It was now or never that he tell her. He had offered the earring to her earlier that night, but she had refused it, saying she would only accept it if it meant something.

The Crow reached into his pocket and slipped the earring out again, holding it in her vision.

"Mi amora...Do you know what those words mean?"

Juniper shook her head, a look of curiosity crossing her soft features, and Zevran smiled to himself. He bent his head, gently pressing his lips to Juniper's. He felt her breathe out in surprise against his lips. It was a gentle motion, especially from him. She had grown to never expect gentleness from the Antivan.

"My love. I offer this gift one more time. Watching you fight Taliesin, continuing to fight even after you received such wounds, claiming me, protecting me, even...It opened my eyes. I always knew I meant something to you, yet I did not see how much until today. Upon seeing your wounded body...I realized how much I had grown to care for you."

Zevran wrapped his arms possessively around Juniper's shoulders, and she relaxed into him, matching her breaths to his calm ones...She could tell, though, he was nervous from the flutter of his heart against her cheek.

"Is...Could this be considered a proposal, Zevran?" She breathed, basking in the scent of Antivan leather, of spices, of exotic places.

"Make of it whatever you wish, mi amora. I know the Dalish do not like to be tied down." Zevran replied quietly.

Juniper pulled her head away from his chest and grinned cheekily at the assassin. "And I know neither do you." She slipped her arm around the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. The two held each other tightly as they explored the other's mouth gently. It was Zevran, for once, that had to break the kiss to draw breath.

Half-lidded eyes stared down into hazel, and he saw a smile light up his Warden's face.

"Well, then, how could I ever say no to you, my dear Antivan Crow? I killed another Crow just for you. It would seem pointless to let that be a waste." Playfulness twinkled deep in her eyes, and Zevran couldn't help but smirk as he pulled away.

"Well then, if you accept it, you must wear it. If you like, I know how to pierce your ear without harming you too much, amora."

An almost hesitant look crossed Juniper's face for a few split seconds, before she nodded. "Of course."

Zevran was slightly surprised at the trust he saw in her eyes, but then again, he was unused to the concept of 'love' and 'trust.'

So Zevran and Juniper sat in that small circle of dogwoods, Juniper soon bearing the end result of her acceptance of his love. Soon, quiet sighs and moans emanated from the clearing, followed by the call of the other's name, and then silence as the night carried on into morning.


End file.
